WENATCHEE, WA – What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with Stemilt’s Artisan Organics™ apples? With Earth Day on the horizon—celebrated April 22nd annually—Stemilt Growers is encouraging retailers to seize the day—Earth Day!—and begin planning organic apple promotions to continue the trend of selling more organic fruit year-over-year.

“Earth Day is a great time to run organic apple ads and push the organic category,” said Brianna Shales, Communications Manager, in a press release. “At Stemilt, we’ve seen an increase in organic apple volumes this year. Couple that with an increased ability to store and freshly pack organic apples, and we have a great recipe for organic promotions during Earth Day.”

Celebrated in 192 countries by more than 1 billion people around the globe, Earth Day is an annual event and a great day for retailers to take advantage of as a way to teach consumers about the organic category in-store and out in the field.

“Stemilt has grown organic since 1989, long before it went mainstream,” Shales explained. “We are very proud to have been pioneers in organics, and today focus our Artisan Organics program around growing modern varieties that the primary organic shopper—millennials—are looking to buy.”

Stemilt’s Artisan Organics program focuses heavily on providing consumers with organic varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, and Piñata®. Stemilt’s Director of Sales, Tate Mathison, has created a focal point on growing today and future varietals organically, and plans to continue to grow Stemilt’s Artisan Organics program based on the increasing demand for organic.

According to Nielsen and the Organic Produce Network, organic fruits are outpacing the growth of other produce categories (vegetables, value-added) with 12.6 percent increases in volume and dollar sales when comparing 2017 to 2016, with berries, bananas, and apples leading the way as the top three fruits fueling the growth.

“Nearly three decades after starting in organics, it’s exciting to have a robust organic apple program that is centered around those varieties that shoppers purchase. The longer season and great qualities allow retailers to promote organic apples in a way they’ve never done before,” said Mathison.

According to the press release, Mathison believes that using Earth Day to celebrate the organic category and focusing on a smaller fruit size profile through branded pouch bags will lead to good results for retailers both in-store and online. Stemilt’s bag lineup includes the 3 lb Lil Snappers® kid-size fruit program, 5 lb Apple Lover pack, and 4 lb Fresh Blenders™ bags—all of which fall under the Artisan Organics label, with numerous organic varieties available.

“Lil Snappers, Apple Lover packs, and Fresh Blenders offer unique opportunities to market intent and convenience to each of a retailer’s core shopper groups,” stated Shales. “Lil Snappers 3 lb pouch bags have a smaller fruit size profile, making them great for anyone looking for smaller portion sizes and parents with kids. The organic Apple Lover 5 lb pack is great for shoppers who love apples and purchasing in bulk, while the Fresh Blenders 4 lb pouch bag is all about that growing crowd of people who are including juicing or blending in their lifestyle.”

With spring just around the corner, Stemilt is excited about the potential to help retailers promote multiple varieties of Artisan Organics apples in a big way leading up to and during Earth Day.

“It’s a great day to put organics on center stage in the freshest part of the supermarket—the produce department. With Stemilt’s variety of branded items for organic apples, Earth Day can be a great way to encourage purchases among your current organic shopper base, as well as appeal to new organic shoppers,” Shales concluded.

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